A visually stunning, emotionally charged and culturally astute tale. The red box of the title contains a diary kept by the author's father during his travels in Tibet in the 1950s. Taking the box and its contents as talismans, Peter Sis fashioned this unusual picture book, which employs old Tibetan tales, his father's diary entries, Sis family history, Buddhist philosophy and marvelous illustration throughout. It earned him a Caldecott Honor.  (TBT60, $27.50)